HELP!!! SYSTEM WON"T BOOT INTO SAFE MODE!

[illroot]

i installed Adaptec's Easy CD creator 3 on Windows 2000 Pro machine and now it won't boot, not even into safe mode.

here are the details. Easy CD Creator 3 was made for 98/NT, but at the website it said that it could be made compatible with Win2K
with a simple upgrade patch. the instructions were to install Easy CD Creator then when prompted to reboot hit 'no' and install the patch, then reboot. i followed the instructions step by step and now my comp won't boot up.

if i let my comp boot up normally, it just hangs on the Win2K startup screen with the startup bar 2/3 of the way finished. it doesn't freeze, it just seems to hang there with the HD not making any noise. it does the same thing when i try to boot in safe mode. it just hangs on the Starting Windows status bar

anyone have any ideas as to a solution besides reinstalling the OS? thanks in advance.

[MadHighlander]

Try booting up from the start up disk then delete the copying program from c drive !!

[Ape0r]

Just boot up from your 2K boot disks and re-install, don't format but re-install. Format if you want, but simply re-installing Win2k should do the trick.

[Bellbus]

I'm not too hot up on Windows 2000, but in Windows 9X you could restore a Registry in DOS to the previous successful Boot up. These were the file:

System.DAT - Current
System.Da0 or System.000 - backup

This may not work with Windows 2000, which has a lot more security on it.

I'm sure somebody else will confirm if this is possible ........ anybody?

[illroot]

doesn't the re-instsall format the partition? i was going to do that but it seems like it will wipe out all the files on that partition. i have a 40 gig HD split into 2 partitions and i need the stuff on the boot partiton.(knew i should have backed up, stupid me)

MadHighlander,

i tried booting from the CD but it inly gives me the option to do a Win2K install or repair. it doesn't let you boot to the desktop. or is there a way to do that? i think i just need to get that **** program off my computer.

i want to do the just the re-install without formatting the partition but it says that it will delete my "My Documents" folder which i really need to keep! thanks guys for all the input.

anyone else wanna take a stab at my problem?

[MadHighlander]

Have you tried the repair mode ??
If not get another boot up disk from a m8 of win me or 98 and it will boot from floppy.
It will load tool in dos the look in c drive for the program and give it the big DELETE

[Ape0r]

That probably won't remove the drivers that EZ CD Creator installs into Windows, yes, it installs it's own drivers. Do the repair thing, I think that's just a reinstall anyway, not sure.

[illroot]

i've tried the repair, but it doesn't do anything. ****, i think i'm screwed.

would removing the HD and installing it as a second HD on a computer let me access what's on it? maybe that way i can remove all the things i want to save on it.

man, it really is not my day.

thanks again guys for trying to help me.

[bushmaster]

Yes you could copy your files onto another drive. Hey this gives ya an excuse to buy a new drive LOL.

[illroot]

sadly, i am broke. after copying the files over i'm probably just going to reformat.

i just have no luck. this is the second time i've had to re-install in 2 months.

does anyone know anyhting about the recovery console? i usually do the emergency repair, where the computer does it's own thing but if i use the recovery console it puts me into DOS. is there a way i can get the program and it's drivers off my comp in DOS? i don't know much of anything in DOS so i'd need major guidance if there is a possible way to do it in DOS. this is what is says when i get to the recovery console:

c:\WINNT>

i don't know what to really do from there. any ideas?
*crosses fingers in hopes that i don't have to reformat*

[illroot]

here's another question, can i copy and past things in DOS?
i want to move some things from C:\ into D:\. same drive differnt partitions. is that possible?

that way i can cut my losses if i move the necessary things into D:\

anyone know?

[illroot]

tried copying, that didn't work. seems like i'm limited to what i can do in the "repair and recovery" console.

theoretically, can't i find the drivers that Easy CD Creator loaded onto my system, delete them, and make my system run fine?
or maybe if i deleted parts of the OS, that would contain the Easy CD drivers, and then repair it, wouldn't that make my PC work?

as you can see i really don't want to re-install. i'm even posting messages to myself now. *sigh*

[Ape0r]

Why are you putting some much time into trying to save the data? Is what's on the drive that important to you? Personally, I'm only willing to screw with an unbootable system for 15-30 minutes before I just format/reinstall, waste of time for me to do it any longer, it only takes 30-40 minutes to install Windows anyway, less with older versions.

[illroot]

yes , i've accumulated some important stuff on my C:\ drive that i cannot lose, stupid me for not backing it up if it was that important.

that's why i turn to the sysopt forums for some solutions. you guys have helped me out before in the past and i'm sure that someone here has the solution to my problem. please, please let him see my post!

um, i guss that's all the pleading i can do.

[illroot]

it'll also take me about hour and a half re-installing and configuring all my applications. we all know what a pain that is.

[Ape0r]

At this point, you've been without your computer for like 14 hours, tell me you couldn't have gotten up and running with a format in a seventh of that time ;).

[Bellbus]

ApeOr, if may not take hours to reinstall, but if his systems like mine, It'll take a lot longer to recover or redo the data on the disk.
I never reformat unless I have too.



Daft Question,

Have you got a mate with a Windows machine (If you've used NTFS partition you'll need a mate with 2000 or XP)?

If so take your disk out, and plug it into his system as a temporary stop over (either as a slave or on the other IDE line), copy the data onto his disk - I assume you only need the actual data files and not the whole program - Unplug it and Reinstall Windows. Attach to his machine and copy this files back off.

I'm suprised you can't reinstall Windows without formatting the disk. In other Windows, you simply deleted the Windows directory and reinstalled. All other data was left intact (although you did need to reinstall all the actual Windows programs again to get them to work, because they were no longer in the Registry settings and program installs usually install DLL's).

[Sin_of_nature]

OK, you need to tell me WHEN/WHERE it crashes.

= Solution 1: =
When it's booting, at the "Starting Windows" bar, press F8
to enter Advanced boot options.
Select "Last known Good Configuration"
And see if it boots. If that fails:
Select "Debugging Mode"

= Solution 2: =
Boot up using the original install CD or floppies.
Select Repair.
Repair anything EXCEPT registry. If you repair registry, you may
as well re-install as it damages all the software currently installed.
Reboot.

= Solution 3: =
Boot up using the original install CD or floppies.
Select Repair Console.
Find the EasyCD Creator Startup files such as:
"DirectCD.exe", "EasyCDPro.exe" any that you think startup
during booting. (If your unsure, we have EasyCD here... I can
email an exact list") and rename them. When you boot, you
will get a "One service has failed" but who cares as you should
get in!


= Solution 4: =
Install ANOTHER copy of Windows 2000 BUT not in the same
folder as the current one. Make sure you DO NOT format the
disk!!!


= Solution 5: =
Same as BellBus. Find another machine with Win2k or XP.
Make your damaged disk as a slave hard disk and boot off the
working Win2K/XP. Copy your files onto the working disk then
re-install your broken windows.

[tking]

Publisher/Vendor: Adaptec
Working: Yes
OS: Windows 2000

Download and run the patch http://webcheckup.adaptec.com/ecdc-win2k/cdr4up.exe
(300 KB) THEN install Easy CD Creator 3.x. If you already have version 3.5c
you are done. If not, you still need to upgrade to version 3.5c. ftp://ftp.adaptec.com/pub/BBS/cd_recording_software/windows/cdc-35c.exe
(for the core, 5 MB) ftp://ftp.adaptec.com/pub/BBS/cd_recording_software/windows/cdc-intl-35c.exe
(for international languages, 7.9 MB)
This is the official way to install it but it's not supported by Adaptec.

Found on www.ntcompatible.com...

I was reading the thread and didn't see any reference to upgrading to version 3.5c.

That might have been the root of the problem. There is a patch and an upgrade required.

If you can get into w2k's F8 recovery directory, boot from last known good configuration is an option and it uses the registry backup from the last successful boot (kind of like w9x's .dao files).

Good luck,
T

[illroot]

thanks guys for the help. i'll try the suggetions listed and post what happens.

*crosses fingers*

[illroot]

forgot to tell sin-of-nature where it crashes,

it doesn't crash it just hangs. if i start it normally it hangs on when it displays the win2k logo with the status bar at the bottom. the status bar goes to about 2/3 the way and stays there. the animated gradient bar keeps moving, but the HD doesn't sound like it's working. if i start in safe mode then it hangs on the black and white status bar that says starting windows. all other modes do the same thing, it hangs.

tking,

i installed all the mentioned upgrades as it says that when you install Easy CD that it does not run on your version of Windows. then when i restarted *kaput*, my computer wouldn't boot.

but i am trying the mentioned solutions right now, thanks again guys.

[illroot]

i tried everything you guys suggested but i ultimately wound up putting the HD into another machine and moving everyhting that i needed off.

i'd like to thank everyone that threw in their two cents to help me out. Thanks!

~illroot

[Sus~]

WHERE did you get the easy CD program??

You can download a trial version of norton Anti virus from the symantec site. Use that to make emergency restore discs and keep them.

If your going to reformat your computer make sure you partition your hard drive. This saves allot of unecessary work if you ever have to do it again cause 1) all your fav programs are right there
2) you can copy the whole windows folder to the extra drive and if it ever wont boot, then you can go in on DOS and just copy that windows folder OVER the messed up one and then boot again.
3) if you have to install windows again, youhave all your files untouched on the extra drive.

[leftfoot]

Hey illroot,
Here's a list of commands for the recovery console. I hope it helps. It's listed under server but I think it should still work for pro. If not you could probably find the info you need searching technet. :0)


http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/support/w2ktopkb.asp

[Rogue3675]

Yeh I would go to recovery console and kill the adptec service I had a similar problem with a laptop here at work on an XP box. Recovery console stop service.